Taxi Driver

The First Americans - Groups of Indian cultures that settled in North America. Their cultures depended on the region of North America that they settled. The Northwest culture of Indians lived in wooden lodges, fished for food, and made clothing out of tree bark. The Southwest culture of Indians lived in adobe apartment buildings. Their source of foods was corn, beans, and squash. Their clothing was made from cotton fibers. The Eastern Woodland culture of Indians lived in longhouses and wigwams. Their source of food was deer, rabbit, squirrels, and berries. Their clothing was made from small animal hides and deer hides. These cultures developed over time and depended on the region of land, the Northwest Indian culture was different from the Eastern Woodland in the ways they got their food, what they wore as clothes, and the homes the built for shelter.

I chose the first Americans because it gives you a good idea of the difference in geography from coast to coast. It also was interesting how culture depended solely on the land they settle.

Colonization of America - When Christopher Columbus returned to Spain with gold and resources that he found in America it started colonization in America. When other countries heard of the riches Spain had found they started to explore America. The English colonized from Georgia to New England. The southern colonies such as Virginia, the Carolinas, and Georgia, produced sugar, tobacco, rice, and indigo. The Middle colonies which were Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York, produced wheat and indigo. The New England colonies which were Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, and Maine, economy was built on trade of rum, slaves, and shipbuilding. Each colony had a governor appointed by the king. Each colony held colonial assemblies where they could pass laws and were sent to the king for approval. In turn this gave the colonies a new freedom to do things their own way.

I chose the Colonization of America because if it didn't happen America would be what it is today. It also gave the colonist a new feeling of life without a king.

The Navigation Acts - The navigation acts forbade import of all goods from foreign ships except from England. The laws that great Brittan put on the transatlantic trading system. The colonies were not prohibited to manufacture the raw materials they find, it had to be sent to England to be manufactured, and when sent back to the colonies these products were taxed. The wool act of 1698 prevent the export of finished wool cloth, they wanted just raw wool. The iron act 1750 banned the finishing of iron and ensured England to have supply of raw iron. The act of 1663 forced all foreign goods be shipped to colonies through English ports. This led to English restricting manufacturing and regulating trade. Molasses act of 1733 was basically unenforceable in the colonies because of smuggling. This act raised the tax on French West Indian sugar. This angered the colonists because it forced them to buy more expensive British West Indian sugar. Smuggling increased as a result of the molasses act. John Hancock played an intricate part in smuggling within the New England colony. He graduated from Harvard at 17 and at 27 was one of the richest men in America. He took over his uncle's mercantile business.

I chose the navigation acts because I believe that they play a big role in America's history, which aide in leaning towards revolution. The colonist wanted direct representation in parliament not virtual representation.

The American Revolution - There were many events leading up to the revolutionary war, such as the stamp tax. Prime Minister, George Greenville forced the British navy to enforce the navigation acts, raised the duties on sugar with the sugar act. This angered the colonists, they began to boycott British goods, protest, and resulted in many colonies refusing to import any British goods until the stamp tax is repealed.1766 the Sons of Liberty is formed which was a group of colonist who fought for direct representation in parliament. 1767 Townsend acts, King George the third of England replaced Prime Minister Rockingham with William Pitt, who was favored by the colonist. He believed that the colonists were entitled to all the rights of an English citizen. Pitt became sick and Charles Townsend took over the government and he was not concerned with the rights of the colonists. He convinced parliament to pass laws imposing tax on colonists, taxes on lead, paint, paper, glass, and tea imported by the colonies. The colonist responds with a boycott and agrees not to import British goods. 1770 The Boston Massacre, colonists surrounded the British troops and were throwing snowballs at them, a shot went off and was followed by several others five colonists died, and eleven hit. The sons of liberty took this news and used it as propaganda. They publicized it and as this story traveled down to the other colonies it changed and ended up being huge news with a body count of over a hundred, when it was only a tragic accident.1770 the Townsend act was repealed on all goods except tea. 1773 the Boston tea party, the sons of liberty organized a boycott on tea. They dressed like Indians and raided the ships with the tea on them and threw all the tea into the water. 1774 after the tea party Brittan was very annoyed with the actions of the colonists so they imposed the coercive acts, which were called the "Intolerable Acts" in the colonies, which included the closing of the port of Boston until the tea was paid back to the east India Tea Company, the royal governor took over the government of Massachusetts, and the British took the right to quarter soldiers anywhere in the colonies. 1774 First continental congress meets to come to an understanding with their relationship with Brittan after Parliament passed the Coercive acts. The cam to an agreement to stop all trade with Brittan and voted to stop drinking tea from the East India Tea company. The war began when the British planned a sneak attack on Lexington, Paul Revere over heard this and road in the middle of the night to warn them that the British were coming.

Evolution of the American Political Party system - the first political party's emerged from a simple difference in opinions on the future structure of the new country. The first to party's were the Federalists Verses the Anti-Federalists. Their basic differences were the support of and against the ratification of the Constitution. Federalists were for a central government and the Anti-Federalists were in favor of individual state governments. 1800 the Federalists verses Democrat/Republicans, and 1820 Federalists verses Republicans, the first Political Party collapsed after the death of Federalism as a national part. The Republican Party